The RCIA Process

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the process of discerning and ritualizing stages of gradual conversion. Initiation of adults belongs to all the baptized. The process is about a relationship over time with both God and the Catholic community. It is the Church's method of a faith journey of conversion.

The process has no time frame. Conversion occurs on God's time; not our time. The RCIA conversion process consists of four periods. The amount of time spent in each phase is dependent on individual needs and feelings.

The Rite of Acceptance intothe Order of the Catechumens

All of the rites are celebrated with the assembly or congregation during a liturgy. The Rite of Acceptance is a celebration where the unbaptized inquirers publicly declare to the church their intentions to continue their faith journey. The church welcomes and accepts them as persons who intend to become its members.

This rite marks the beginning of the Catechumenate proper. The celebration consists of:

Reception of the candidates.

Celebration of the Word of God.

Dismissal of the Catechumens.

This Rite may be adapted to accommodate baptized Inquirers who seek to become fully initiated into the Catholic Faith (Rite of Welcoming). After the celebration of the Rite of Acceptance, the Catechumens enter into the Catechumenateperiod.

Have you ever been intrigued by a travel brochure or the travel section of the Sunday newspaper? They lay before us all the marvels and wonders of distant and different lands. They may show us places and things that weve never seen; they hint at adventures that cant fully be described. Usually we spend a minute or an hour imagining what the journey might be like and then we turn the page or set the brochure down.Those who come to us to find out about the Catholic church begin with a period of inquiry. The period of inquiry might be compared to reading a travel brochure. What kind of journey might this be? What might we encounter on the way? Where might we end up? These are important questions, but asking them is not the same thing as taking the journey.

The Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens -celebrated at the end of the period of inquiry - is something like sign-up day. At this liturgy, the inquirers who have asked the questions and now are ready to embark on the journey arrive at our door. We greet them and ask them what they want. They want what we told them that we could help them discover: faith, baptism, eternal life. We mark them with the cross, for this is the sign of all who are on this journey. We give them the holy scriptures: It is the guidebook that we use on the way. We promise to be with them on this trip, for we are still on it ourselves. And we give them wise guides - sponsors, catechists, pastors and many others - to surround them and support them as they learn the ways of the road.

Any good travel agent will tell you that she or he cannot guarantee how a journey will end, or what exactly will happen along the way. We cant say, either, what will happen along this way. But in faith we can say that if we and those we invite on this journey are faithful to the one who has called us to make it, then the end of the journey will be more marvelous than we imagined at the onset.

So what about the usual times for accepting people into the order of catechumens?

18. The following should be noted about the time of celebrating the rite of acceptance into the order of catechumens (RCIA nos. 41-74).

1. It should not be too early, but should be delayed until the candidates, according to their own dispositions and situation, have had sufficient time to conceive an initial faith and to show the first signs of conversion (RCIA 42)

2. In places where the number of candidates is smaller than usual, the rite of acceptance should be delayed until a group is formed that is sufficiently large for catechesis and the liturgical rites.

3. Two dates in the year, or three if necessary, are to be fixed as the usual times for carrying out this rite.

So much for the mindless practice of the First Sunday of Advent.

Weve read earlier that the catechumenate is a gradual process (RCIA 4) and it may take several years (RCIA 7.2). So we can conclude that counting backward from the Rite of Election within a single year isnt relevant. It is often discerned that appropriate moments during the liturgical year are good choices. I find ordinary time Sundays the best. All Saints Day is a good choice, too. I would aim for celebrating this rite just prior to Lent, too. with an eye to the following years Vigil. In my years of directing (four) a catechumenate and being the parish liturgist for it (seventeen) Ive found that the Lent and Triduum observances inspire inquirers, especially in an open and welcoming parish. Some Sunday during the summer would be a good time for the rite of acceptance.

I’d love to lead an RCIA class, but don’t feel qualified at the moment. I’m in awe every time I see this, though. I don’t spend much time doing the “shoulda, coulda, woulda” dance. But I think it would have been great to have perhaps skipped some of my time as a rock-n-roller to have trained for RCIA/CCD. I truly love it when people join the Church.

I went through the RCIA process myself. It is a normal part of a faith-sharing process at my parish that includes rites for both children and adults and that is run parallel to normal church celebrations. I find that it integrates new arrivals to the faith in a seamless fashion that is extremely moving and fulfilling for the participants.

THANK you so much for posting this! I’m in RCIA classes now and continue to have a ridiculous amount of questions...it’s difficult to keep it all straight but I’m loving every class. I really enjoy going to Mass too...it’s invigorating!

As you saw in one of the postings above, a person was lamenting the two year process. I personally think it is a good thing. The gentleman that I am a sponsor for will also be completing his second year.

The dismissal of candidates for reception into full communion is inappropriate. The dismissal of catechumens is barely justifiable, especially in cases where the catechuman has been attending mass for a time (in the case of the person for whom I am sponsor, 18 years).

I’m not an RCIA minister, however I am part of the ministry at my parish. Right now, I’m helping in the adolescent faith-sharing ministry which, of course, is part of our overall faith-sharing program. We meet after regular mass every Sunday.

I would definitely be available as a counselor or sponsor in future RCIA planning.

Wow! You’re doing something I don’t think I could do. I could work with high schoolers and middle schoolers in a classroom environment — middle schoolers were better, but I don’t think I would want to do what you are doing. Advent blessings to you.

She has been through the RCIA process once and got a dispensation from the priest to do it again.

I suppose my own background makes me less than objective about it, but I don't think catechised, baptized adults should go through the same preparation process that un-catechised, un-baptized adults go through.

I think it de-legitimizes what is purported to be their legitimate entry into the Church at baptism. I'd like to see the Church follow what the RCIA program actually says about those baptized in another "ecclesiastical community" and not make them do any more than is necessary in order to be received into the full communion of the Catholic Church.

God bless you on your journey! I am a convert and went through RCIA two years ago. It was deeply fulfilling - rich with instruction and very welcoming. Holy Week, culminating in receiving the sacraments, was profoundly moving.

I joined our parish RCIA team last year and have been blessed to be allowed to teach several times. Of course, my notes and approach are carefully vetted by my Deacon beforehand, lol. We have an equal mix of men and women on the team, and it has not been feminized to any extent. On the contrary, several of the guys from the parish men’s group are on the team and are very encouraging to our candidates.

Actually, your attitude is a huge, huge stumbling block to conversion. If you sincerely believe that you have an *advantage* over others because of where you are coming from, then you will stay with your own church because you want to retain that advantage.

Conversely, someone who has the desire to convert will realise that they are *missing out* on true communion with the Catholic church and that it’s a sense of humility to realise that everyone goes through the same process irrespective of their baptism.

This was the change in my attitude from the first year to the second year. Like yourself, I came from an Anglican background but I’d already jumped over to the Mennonites as I was dissatisfied with many of the abuses of the Anglican church.

I hadn’t even realised how much of my opinion of the Catholic church had been shaped by my Anglican background until I went to RCIA.

37
posted on 12/06/2010 4:53:31 AM PST
by BenKenobi
(Dont worry about being effective. Just concentrate on being faithful to the truth.)

It really depends on the parish. I had that same experience with my local parish at the time, I ended up going to a different one ran by the current bishop (who wasn’t the bishop at the time).

It was night and day. I never would have come into the church had I not switched. If you aren’t happy with the process you need to start getting involved with the folks who do RCIA. It’s absolutely essential in getting *real* converts.

Of course, one of the things I found absolutely exasperating is the kind and genial boomer who literally said to me before his conversion that he was attracted by the spirit of Vatican II and wanted to change the Church in order to reflect his boomer sacraments of divorce, contraception, abortion, married priests and homosexuality.

This is why it’s so important to have solid RCIA so that these folks are so put off by the process that they rabble rouse elsewhere.

38
posted on 12/06/2010 4:58:16 AM PST
by BenKenobi
(Dont worry about being effective. Just concentrate on being faithful to the truth.)

I suppose my own background makes me less than objective about it, but I don't think catechised, baptized adults should go through the same preparation process that un-catechised, un-baptized adults go through.

I don't know much about it (my own knowledge of the nitty-gritty of conversion depending largely on Lucile Hasley's essays written in the 1950s, and in her case -- or "then" --it was apparently strictly individual), but it would seem that the program would have to be to some extent determined by the actual prospective converts who show up.

"Unbaptized" and "uncatechized" don't necessarily mean ignorant -- many prospective converts have put a great deal of study into it before their decision. Conversely, there are many baptized and technically catechized individuals who don't seem to know much.

It does all come down to the actual individuals, and I think it would take an extraordinarily rigid program that doesn't take that into account.

Just be very careful what you read here. Do not take anything at face value and always search out a Catholic’s response regarding some of the accusations and misinformation thrown out here on a nearly daily basis.

The Catholic church is a beautiful thing, she is a gift from Jesus to us as precious as His Body and Blood which we are privileged to have, but there are some who hate her with a ferocity not even shown Satan.

There are many good, faithful and knowledgeable Catholics or FR, look to them when you need guidance on what is posted here.

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